Hypnotism: Past, Present, and Future Revelations

For centuries now, hypnotism has existed in one form or another. It has been known as mesmerism, magnetism, and eventually came to be hypnotism, its commonly recognized name in today's world. Not only has the name changed, but the beliefs behind it and techniques used to induce a hypnotic state have also changed. There are mysterious secrets of the past that apparently involved hypnotism, and a long history of research that proves hypnotism to be both positive and negative. Before we get into the juicy "gossip" of the hypnotic past, we should first discuss what exactly hypnosis is.

Although there are many conflicting arguments concerning what exactly hypnosis is, I think we can all agree that hypnosis is a state of deep relaxation. Scientific research shows that the body is awake, but in a deeply relaxed state and the mind is highly alert through the entire trance. The hypnotic state can very much be compared to the state of mind in a person daydreaming. It can be used to bring up past memories, gain self esteem, stop a habit such as smoking, or even to relieve someone of their fears. Hypnosis is generally performed by a hypnotist, or when performed by a clinical therapist, he or she is known as a hypnotherapist. It is suggested that somebody looking to undergo hypnotism be certain their hypnotist is properly trained and certified as such. Most states do not have laws governing who practices hypnotism or for which purposes they use it, therefore it would be wise to contact a local chapter of the American Society of Clinical Hypnosis to find out if the hypnotist is a member and to also find out if he or she is licensed.(American Society of Clinical Hypnosis
The history behind this mysterious trance dates back as far as 70 B.C.E. when "the Roman emperor Vespasian is said to be able to cure by the power of touch."(Streeter, 2004, p.11)

Since then, historical accounts have included healing with words, touch, and even the development of sacred sleep temples where patients are told of their cure while dreaming and ultimately cured. One name synonymous with hypnotic history is Franz Anton Mesmer, from which the termed "mesmerized" is coined. Ironically, he never truly understood the way the mind works and according to research he would never agree with today's beliefs of the topic.(Streeter, 2004) Using magnets, he cured patients and came to believe it was "animal magnetism"(Streeter, 2004) and the magnetic flow which carried healing power. Yet another big name in hypnotism's beginnings is a Scottish surgeon named James Esdaile. In the era of Esdaile, there were no anesthetics which caused a high death rate in medical procedures. After hearing of "mesmerism", Esdaile decided there could possibly be plenty to gain and little or nothing to lose in trying this technique. Upon doing so, "the post-operative death rate at his hospital fall from 50 to 5 percent after using hypnosis on patients undergoing surgery."(Streeter, 2004, p.20) The true father of hypnotism though is another Scottish physician who first came to the realization that the key was psychological, not magnetism. Braid is also responsible for the birth of the word "hypnosis", derived from the Greek god of sleep's name, Hypnos. Although he later came to the understanding that sleep had nothing to do with the subject, he made this very clear and the name has since stuck. There are many, many more names associated with hypnotism throughout history, including Sigmund Freud and Milton Erickson to name a few. The history of this topic proves to be deep, and just as anything with a deep seeded history, there are secrets and mysteries hidden in every corner.

Juicy gossip, secrets, and mysterious stories have long been told concerning hypnosis and improper uses in history. Physicians, soldiers, cults, and government groups such as the CIA have been accused of misconduct by way of hypnotism. Although the argument exists for people not going against their moral beliefs, even under a hypnotic trance, there are also great arguments for the opposite being true. During the Korean War in the early 1950's, many U.S. servicemen were taken captive and paraded around supporting communism and denouncing "imperial aggression". (Streeter, 2004) This was, and in many ways still is believed to be the power of hypnotism and brainwashing. Because of this event, the CIA and other U.S. authorities became enthralled with the possibilities of this power. In the early 1950's the U.S. government began to research the possible military uses of hypnosis. "In 1951 a senior CIA official, Morse Allen, was put in charge of the hypnosis project."(Streeter, 2004, p.100) One of the many experiments performed was to give a gun to someone and hypnotize this person to shoot a coworker. This person, under hypnosis, fired the weapon. The weapon was of course not loaded, but if it had been, the outcome would have proven to be a fatal one. This further excited the government of its possibilities.

They foresaw a future of creating "super-assassins" of sorts who would kill at a moments notice upon a pre-seeded signal or the ability to interrogate the enemy and later release them with no recollection of the event. These ideas later inspired the well-known book and movie The Manchurian Candidate. (Streatfeild, 2007) It is believed that the U.S. government made attempts in using mind control to order assassinations. One such attempt, a double agent was hypnotized to kill his KGB boss, but later backed out. In another faulty attempt, three faulty attempts actually, the U.S. government tried to find a suitable candidate to assassinate Cuba's Fidel Castro.(Streeter, 2004) In 1978, there was a mass suicide performed by a Jamestown cult group called the People's Temple. Their leader, Jim Jones had used brainwashing and hypnotic techniques regularly on his followers. In November of 1978, Jones ordered more than 900 of his followers to consume a cyanide cocktail and further more ordered guards to shoot and kill anybody who did not follow through. We hear of people who leave cults quite often, therefore supporting th belief that those who have strong moral codes will not give in to the hypnotic suggestions, but there are many more people who seem to abide by the orders given in a trance. In 2001, a British gynecologist was accused of raping his patients while under hypnosis. One patient came up pregnant following an appointment with this doctor and upon paternity testing it was determined that he had fathered her child. Once these accusations came out, several more patients came forward insisting the good doctor had done the same to them under hypnosis. The gynecologist was later acquitted due to a jury's failure to believe this as possible. Although hypnosis has been used in ways both positive and negative, the air of mystery surrounding it exists even in present day.

In present day society we still see and hear about hypnosis. There are television and radio commercials urging us to seek out hypnotic therapy to kick bad habits, or be cured of our fears and illnesses. We even hear of hypnosis being used prior to medical or dental procedures to calm our fears and suppress the pain. Many women have sought out this unique therapy before giving birth and around the world there are seminars using hypnosis to gain self- esteem, develop success in life, and even to make more money. The most notorious in recent months is the book made into a DVD seminar, The Secret by Rhonda Byrne. It has been talked about on seemingly every news and radio show and has further been applauded by both Larry King and Oprah Winfrey, both of who had an entire talk show segment on this book. The concept of the book is using self hypnosis to gain the things you want in life. The writers claim that if it is success, money, love, happiness, or anything else you can dream up, it can all be yours for the taking if you use the techniques outlined in the book. By way of self hypnosis, you consistently tell yourself that you have these things already and envision yourself living life already having them and you will have them. Although it sounds crazy, The Secret has millions of followers worldwide who claim the methods outlined in this book worked for them. The current use of hypnosis varies greatly and is used by regular people, celebrities, sports stars, doctors, businessmen and more.

Celebrities of all backgrounds are said to have used hypnosis. Jackie Kennedy Onassis has been said to have used hypnosis to help her stay strong through the heartache of losing both of her husbands. Other celebrities have gone under the trance to gain more confidence , stay thin, and focus. Sports stars have even used hypnosis to play a better game, gain strength, and focus more while playing. It doesn't end with celebrities either. Businessmen use these techniques to gain confidence and get psyched up before a big business deal or presentation and even doctors use it before performing procedures on patients. Even the chronically ill have said they rely on hypnosis to feel better and medical tests have shown they not only feel better, but show a positive difference in their subsequent medical lab results in these patients. It is believed that Osama Bin Laden is and has used hypnotism and brainwashing in his recruited suicide bombers.(Streatfeild, 2007, p. 1) The possibilities are endless and I believe they will continue to expand as well as gain more popularity for many years into the future.

Just as hypnosis has been around for centuries now, it will continue to be around well into the centuries of the future. I'm not certain of what changes can be made in hypnosis other than tighter laws or rules governing the requirements of those practicing the techniques on others. I see it continuing to gain popularity among people of all walks of life. Over the years it has grown in the medical field, becoming more widely used and accepted. I believe into the future it will be used in more procedures, by more medical professionals and patients. Into the future, those who study and practice hypnosis may find more ways of performing hypnosis better, especially as we continue to gain knowledge behind the workings of the mind. I believe whatever mystery there is left about hypnosis will be learned as well. Subliminal messaging in advertising is also said to be a form of hypnosis and it has become widely practiced over the years.
(Streatfeild, 2007, p. 171) Into the future I see it being further used and in more ways. As self hypnosis gains popularity in today's world, the techniques are being learned by more and more common, everyday people. Over the next years and generations it will continue to gain popularity and acceptance, eventually becoming a common practice in all households. Hypnosis won't be going anywhere anytime soon, probably never actually. I truly believe that we'll continue to hear of hypnosis well into the future.

References

Blair, F.B. (2004) . Instant Self - Hypnosis - How to Hypnotize Yourself with Your Eyes Open. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks, Inc
Streatfeild, D. (2007) . Brainwash - The Secret History of Mind Control. New York: Thomas Dunne Books/ St. Martin's Press
Streeter, M. (2004) . Hypnosis - Secrets of the Mind. Hauppauge, New York: Barron's Educational Series, Inc.

Further information derived from the following websites:
American Society of Clinical Hypnosis. Retrieved November 2007 http://www.asch.net/genpubinfo.htm
American Psychological Association. Retrieved November 2007 http://www.apa.org/releases/hypnosis.html
Hypnosis - The Study of the Unconscious Mind. Retrieved November 2007 http://www.hypnosis.com/whatishypnosis.aspx
Mayo Clinic. Retrieved November 2007 http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/hypnosis/SA00084